Great find, and nice post/reporting!
"I don't know why Sony doesn't just ship every drive in overdrive mode... hmmmm... "
I believe that 2x-limitations from manufacturer's was a nod to the anti-piracy pirates (although there may have been scant concern re: layer-break 'at speed', and noise and/or burner-damage with imperfect disks).
I'm glad to see the industry is 'standing up' for their customers more, and less for the MPAA...Sony in particular needed a boost with Pioneer on their heel's (Pioneer may follow now with an 'official' 12x-rip FW--the hacked one has been out for months).